Rubio says South African ambassador is ‘no longer welcome’ in US
CNN
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday said that South Africa’s ambassador to the United States “is no longer welcome in our great country.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday said that South Africa’s ambassador to the United States “is no longer welcome in our great country.” “Ebrahim Rasool is a race-baiting politician who hates America and hates” President Donald Trump, Rubio alleged in a post on X. “We have nothing to discuss with him and so he is considered PERSONA NON GRATA,” Rubio wrote. Declaring someone persona non grata (PNG) is a severe diplomatic rebuke and usually forces them to leave the host country. CNN has reached out to the South African embassy in Washington and the State Department for comment. Rubio’s post linked to an article from the right-wing news outlet Breitbart about Rasool’s comments to a think tank Friday about Trump’s election and presidency. The PNG declaration against Rasool is the latest chapter in the plummeting relationship between the US and South Africa. There had been tensions between the two countries under the Biden administration. However, since Trump began his second term the US has taken a series of punitive measures against South Africa whose government has been met with ire not only from Trump, but also his ally tech billionaire Elon Musk, who was born and raised in the country.
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